Taylor Swift Declines Inclusion on Spotify

Popular music streaming platform Spotify is the most recent addition to Billboard's methodology in determining their all-encompassing Hot 100 chart, but that hasn't enticed Taylor Swift from allowing her platinum-selling 'Red' album from being streamed on the platform in its entirety.

According to Swift's Nashville-based Big Machine label, the reason behind the 'Begin Again' singer's refusal to allow her music to be streamed on Spotify is simple -- it's all about business.

"We're not putting the brand-new releases on Spotify. Why shouldn't we learn from the movie business?" says the label, who also represents country superstars Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts. "They have theatrical releases, cable releases. There are certain tiers. If we just throw out everything we have, we're done."

Paying subscribers of the Swedish-based online music resource are up in arms concerning Swift's decision to omit her new catalog, even though her recent chart-topping track, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' is available as a single-song stream.

In a similar move, pop princess Rihanna has also restricted her recently-released 'Unapologetic' album from full streaming, despite fact that the project's lead single is one of the most heard song on Spotify.

Ironically enough, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' and 'Diamonds' gave Swift and Rihanna No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 chart, respectively. Swift's march to the top with the lead single from 'Red' was the first for the country superstar.

Swift and her label seem unwavering with their decision, but Spotify continues to defend their business model -- using another monster release as an indicator of their potential contributions to the music industry. According to the company, alternative rock band Mumford & Sons' recent album 'Babel' was streamed more than eight million times during its opening week, and still managed to sell a staggering 600,000 in a seven-day span.

"That goes to prove streaming services do not take away from unit sales and, in fact, can be additive for major artist releases," says Sachin Doshi, Spotify’s head of development and analysis. “That's our point and we're sticking to it."

Whether Swift and her label will eventually cave to demands of an evolving music industry remains unseen. But if you want to listen to the singer's 'Red' album in its entirety online in the anytime near future, iTunes is your best bet.